LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

il^ajt.- §np]jrt#ln 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA^ 



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)^n^s. 




Number 



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Eighty-Eight, 



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NEW YORK: 
PHILLIPS & HUNT 

CINCINNATI; 
WALDEN c& STOWE. 




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S63^^ 



The "Home College Series" will contain one hundred short papers on 
a wide range of subjects-biographical, historical, scientific, literary, domes^ 
tie, political, and religious. Indeed, the religious tone will characterize all 
of them. They are written for every body-for all whose leisure is limited, 
but who desire to use the minutes for the enrichment oflife. 

These papers contain seeds from the best gardens in all the world of 
hum.n kuowledge, and if dropped wisely into good soil, wi'l bring forth 
harvests of beauty and value. 

They are for the young-especially for young people (and older people 
too) who are out of the schools, who are full of "business" and "cares '' 
who are in danger of reading nothing, or of reading a sensational li.eratnre 
Miat is worse than nothing. 

One of these pnpers a week read over and over, thought and talked about 
fit "odd times," will give in one year a vast fund of information, an intel, 
lectual quickening, worth even more than the mere knowledge acquired, a 
taste for solid rend ng, many hours of simple and wholesome pleasure, and 
ability to tnlk intelhgently and helpfully to one's friends. 

Pastors may organize -Home College" classes, or "Lyceum Reading 
Unious," or ^'Chautauqu^, Literary and ScientiHc Circles," and help thq 
young people to read and think and talk and live to worthier piu-pose. 

A young man may have his own little "college" all by himself, read thi^ 
series of tracts one after the other, (there will soon be one hundred of thom 
read.,) examine himself on them hy th^ '• Thoughr-OntliuM to Heh- the Mem-' 
ory." and thus gain knowledge, and. what i,'* better, a lore of knowledo-e. 

And wliot a young man may do in this respect, a yotmg worn, n, and both 
old men and old women, may do. 

New York, J«H.,1SS3. '^- ^- ^''^'CENT. 



Copyright, 18S3, by Piiillus i Hunt, N«\v York. 



iom^ Cfllltgt gtfits. |tumbtr (gigljtg-figl^. 



INJURIOUS GARDEN INSECTS. 



A MORE extended knowledge of the noxious and useful 
insects is an urgent need of the every- day farmer and gar- 
dener. There are annually destroyed by insect foes hundreds 
of millions of dollars' worth of field and garden crops that 
might be in large part saved by a more familiar acquaintance 
with the habits of these pests. 

Successful farming is a continuous warfare with bugs and 
beetles, borers and grubs, worms and maggots. A noted 
writer says: "If he that makes two blades of grass to grow 
where only one grew before is a benefactor to mankind, he 
that protects both from needless destruction is not less a 
benefactor. Therefore, while it is not within the })Ower of 
man to wipe injurious insects from the face of the earth, he 
may limit the destruction of property they cause; and it is 
to the farmer's interest, and is his duty, to wage a united war 
against them, knowing no to-morrow in its prosecution, but 
killing and destroying wherever and whenever possible, and' 
employing every means in his power." 

Insects in their perfect forms are distinguished from all 
otlier classes of related animals by having six legs, and usu- 
ally, but not always, wings. The body of the insect, as a 
butterfly, bug, or beetle, is divided into three parts, namely : 
the liead, in which are the organs of sight and other senses;, 
the thorax^ or middle part of the body, to which the legs and: 
wings are attached ; and the abdomen^ or third and rear 
division, containing the organs of reproduction. The more* 
highly developed insects have four quite distinct stages in. 
their existence. The first is the egg ; second, the larva, or 
"worm" state; third, the piqya, or chrysalis condition, when 
the insect is usually inactive; and last the imago, or perfect. 



INJURIOUS GARDEN INSECTS. 



insect. The eg^ state is usually of short duration, hatching, 
in some species, being accomplished within a few hours after 
the eggs are deposited, while the eggs of other species re- 
quire weeks and months for hatching. Many kinds of farm 
and garden pests pass the winter in the egg condition, among 
which the tent caterpillar, that defoliates the orchards so 
rapidly in spring, is a good example. The eggs of this insect 
are deposited in clusters on the small twigs, in the form of a 
band, and may be seen in this condition on any winter day 
when the trees are free from snow. In fact, this is the best 
time to seek the glistening rings of eggs, and destroy them 
before they hatch out into the greedy worms or caterpillars. 
Unlike most other forms of eggs, those of insects are not 
easily injured by extremes of heat and cold. 

The next stage of the insect bears several names, depend- 
ing somewhat upon the order to which it belongs. They are 
all larvae^ but those of beetles are usually called grubs or 
borers. Thus the larva of a may-beetle is the white grub, 
so injurious to the lawn and garden. The apple-tree borer 
is the larval state of a beetle, etc. The larvce of the moths 
and butterflies are frequently called caterpillars or worms. 
Thus the army- worm is a state of a moth, as is likewise the 
canker-worm and hosts of others. The larva is the growing 
stage of the insect, and usually dui-ing this state it eats 
voraciously, and when feeding on any farm or garden crop 
may do much destructive work. 

After the larval stage is passed the insect goes into the 
pupa state, and remains dormant for a time. Many injurious 
insects descend from the trees and other forms of vegetation, 
and go under-ground to pass the inactive state of pupation. 
From this condition the mature or perfect state of the insect 
comes forth, and the cycle of changes or transformations is 
completed. 

With this as a brief and general view of the structure and 
nature of insects, let us pass to the consideration of some of 



INJURIOUS GARDEN INSECTS. 



the more destructive pests of the vegetable garden. First 
in the alphabetical order of the plants — crloceris asparagi — 
infested is the beetle that feeds upon the asparagus. This in- 
sect came from Europe, and was about twenty years ago 
introduced into the United States, where it has since caused 
the loss of many thousands of dollars to the growers of as- 
paragus on Long Island and other localities. The beetle is 
of a deep blue color, with a brick-red, central body. The 
" worm " is of a dull ash color. The beetle passes the winter 
under loose bark, etc., and soon after the asparagus starts to 
grow in spring it comes out and lays the first brood of eggs. 
These eggs hatch in about a week, and the first brood of 
"worms" are at work by the middle of June. They feed on 
the younger parts of the stems first, and if these are not suf- 
ficient the whole asparagus plant suffers. About two weeks 
later the larvae or worms descend into the ground, and there 
pass into the inactive or pupa state. From these cocoons a 
brood of beetles appear, which lay eggs and produce a second 
crop of worms in mid-summer. The beetles from these 
worms come out in September, and with them the two cycles 
of transformations during the season are completed. Those 
asparagus grow^ers who have had the most success in destroy- 
ing this pest recommend hoeing up all the young seedling 
plants upon the asparagus bed in early spring. This forces 
the mother beetles to lay their eggs upon the old shoots, and 
as these are soon cut no eggs are left to hatch out. If it 
were not for the asparagus, that has run wild in many local- 
ities, it would not be a difficult matter to eradicate this 
insect. It is evident that the wild asparagus should be cut 
down and rooted out. 

The Bean-weevil {Briiehus faboe) causes much trouble to 
the market-gardener. This is an American insect, and is 
w^ide-spread throughout the Union, doubtless feeding upon 
many sorts of wild beans or plants closely related to the 
cultivated sorts. The larval or worm-state of this insect 



INJURIOUS GARDEN INSECTS. 



much resembles that of the weevil infesting the pea, to 
which it is closely related. The parent beetle deposits her 
eggs iijDon the outside of the yOung pod; the grubs, when 
hatched, eat their way into the young beans, where they live, 
destroying the material stored up for the nourishment of the 
future bean-plant. When the grub first enters the bean it 
cuts a hole close up to the skin or hull of the bean to prepare 
the way for the escape of the weevil. When the grub has 
reached its full size it goes into the pupa state, and remains 
dormant until spring, and usually makes its escape about 
planting-time. Often as many as a dozen eggs are deposited 
by the mature weevil in a single bean. The germ of the 
buggy-bean is usually left untouched, and will grow, though 
only feebly, because deprived of its necessary food. We have 
seen beans that were covered with mature beetles in the fall, 
but it is unusual for the weevil to make its appearance until 
the following spring. There is but one help for this serious 
pest, which is for all gardeners in a neighborhood to plant 
sound beans. It is a matter in which individual effort can 
do but little. One person may plant only sound beans, while 
a neighbor who is less careful will supply him with an abun- 
dance of weevils. This is a case where co-operation among 
farmers would help greatly. If all resolve to plant no buggy- 
beans, the evil, if not entirely checked, would not increase at 
its present rapid rate. 

The cabbage is the next insect-infested plant on the list 
of garden vegetables, and it is troubled by a number of spe- 
cies. The first of importance are the Cabbage Butterflies. 
These are easily recognized by the wings being generally 
white, green, or yellow nnderneath, and broad and entire on 
the edges. The caterpillars are cylindrical and sj^aringly 
clothed with short hairs. The Rape Butterfly [Pieris rapce) 
was introduced from England about twenty-five years ago, 
and has become thoroughly naturalized in this country. The 
larvae or " worms " are an inch and a half long, pale green, 



INJURIOUS GARDEN INSECTS. 



with a yellow stripe on the back. The eggs are laid on the 
under side of the leaves, and the worms bore into the heart 
of the cabbage and do much damage. The insect hibernates 
in the pupa state. The second brood of butterflies appears 
in June, and the worms j^upate in September, and remain in 
this state until the following spring. The butterflies of this 
cabbage pest often occur in large numbers. A case is on 
record of the sun being obscured for a distance of many hun- 
dred yards in the middle of the English Channel by the flight 
of these butterflies from France to the British Isles. 

A second cabbage pest is known as the Pot-herb Butterfly, 
[Pieris oleracea,) and closely resembles the one already de- 
scribed. To destroy either of these insects one must take 
advantage of their habits. By placing boards among the 
infested cabbages a short distance from the ground the cater- 
pillars may be caught as they descend to pass into the pupa 
state. The butterflies are slow fliers, and may be caught 
with nets. A wire hoop with a bag of mosquito netting, 
fastened at the end of a long handle, is quickly made, and in 
the hands of children will catch many of the mature insects 
as tliey fly about the cabbage field. One female thus secured 
means the destruction of a large number of eggs. To kill 
the worms that are already at work pyrethrum powder has 
been used with satisfactory results. This substance is not 
poisonous to man, like Paris green, and can be used with 
safety. Some have found hot water most eflective. The 
cabbage plant will bear without injury for a short time water 
hot enough to destroy the worms. The temperature should 
be 160 degrees, and as the water will cool during the appli- 
cation allowance should be made for this. 

There are many other insects injurious to the cabbage. A 
noted writer on insect pests says: " No sooner are the young 
cabbages above ground in the seed-bed than they are often 
attacked by several species of flea-beetles. By these jump- 
ing little pests the seed leaves are frequently riddled so full 



INJURIOUS GARDEN INSECTS. 



of holes that the life of the plant is destroyed; and they do 
not confine themselves to the seed leaves, but prey to a con- 
siderable extent also upon the young rough leaves. After 
the plants are set out the larva of a very small insect is 
found upon the roots, in the form of a tiny, elongated, six- 
fooled worm. Through the operations of this subterranean 
foe the young cabbages, especially in hot, dry weather, often 
wither away and die; and even if they escape this infliction, 
there is a whole host of cut worms ready to destroy them 
with a few snaps of their powerful jaws ; and the common 
white grub, as we know by experience, will often do the 
same thing. Suppose the unfortunate vegetable escapes all 
these dangers of the early period of its existence, at a more 
advanced stage in its life the stem is burro Vv^ed into by the 
maggot of the Cabbage-fly, [Anthomia brassicce,) the sap is 
pumped out of the leaves in a stream by myriads of minute 
plant-lice covered with a whitish dust, and the leaves them- 
selves are riddled full of holes by the tiny larvae of the Cab- 
bage Tinea, or devoured bodily by the large fleshy larvae of 
several different owlet-moths." 

The Striped Beetle annually destroys thousands of dollars' 
worth of cucujnber vines in the United States, The mature 
beetles make their appearance early in the season, and at 
once commence their ^^'ork of destruction. By crawling 
through the cracks in the earth, made by the sprouting 
seeds, they reach and destroy the young cucumber, melon, 
and squash plants before they reach the surface of the soil. 
Soon after the vines that iiave escaped the beetles get well 
to growing they suddenly begin to wilt and die. When the 
roots of these are examined they are found pierced with small 
holes. The author of this mischief is a little white worm 
about a third of an inch long. These worms are the young 
of the striped beetle, so troublesome on the young plants 
shortly before, and were hatched from eggs deposited near 
the roots. After a month of eating, the worms retire to the 



INJURIOUS GARDEN INSECTS. 



earth and make smooth, walled cavities in which they pupate. 
In about two weeks the mature beetle comes forth. There 
are two or three generations or broods each year. A large 
number of remedies have been used, but there is none better 
than inclosing the young vines in small boxes covered with 
mosquito netting or light cloth on the top. Some make light 
lath frames, covered with netting. Paris green may be 
sprinkled on mixed with flour, or white hellebore may be 
used. If the beetles are kept off there will afterward be no 
worms at the roots. 

The Pickle- worm (Phacellura nitidalis) is the young of a 
moth, of a yellowish brown color, and is indigenous to our 
country. The worm begins its destructive work in mid-sum- 
mer by boring cylindrical holes into the cucumbers. This 
causes the fruit to soon rot. The worms are gross feeders, 
and come to full growth in three or four weeks. When 
about to transform they leave the cucumbers and spin a 
white cocoon in some out-of-the-way place, where they pass 
the winter, though some of the moths appear in late autumn. 
The vines should be looked over in early summer, and the 
worm-eaten fruit picked and fed to swine, or the pests de- 
stroyed on the spot. 

The Melon-worm is not a new comer, having been described 
as a native of this country over a hundred years ago. The 
worms are of a yellowish green color, about an inch and a 
quarter in length. They feed upon the leaves, vine, and 
young fruit, causing destruction wherever they go. They 
coil up the leaves by means of a web to form a shelter where 
they undergo their transformations. The number of broods 
in a season is not known, but it is ascertained that the insect 
winters in the chrysalis state. As a remedy it is best to 
plant the melons as early as possible, so that they may ripen 
and be out of the way of the most destructive brood. The 
use of insecticides and hand-picking are the leading remedies. 

The Onion-fly (Ortalis flexa) was first described in 1830. 



INJURIOUS GARDEN INSECTS. 



This pest is black with white stripes, and about one third of 
an inch in length. There are two broods. The maggots 
destroy the onions, reducing the bulbs to a rotten mass. A 
worse pest is the Imported Onion-fly, [Anthomyia cepariim.) 
This fly deposits her eggs in May or June on the leaves 
while tlie plants are small. The maggots soon hatch and 
work their way down to tlie base of the bulb, where they feed 
for about two weeks and then leave the onions and turn into 
the pupa. A second brood soon issues to lay eggs, and con- 
tinue the destructive work. Onions tliat are attacked soon 
turn yellow, and should be removed at once from the bed. 
If this is thoroughly done it will dispose of the maggots that 
would, otherwise, soon develop into the second brood of flies. 
The infested onions should be lifted carefully with a knife 
and burned. There is but little use of applying an insecti- 
cide. 

The squash and pumpkin belong to the same family of 
plants with the cucumber and melons, and most of the insects 
that infest one are found on the others. The Squash-bug 
appears about the first of June. The mature insect is about 
half an inch long, rusty black above and ochre below. This 
insect gives off a characteristic odor when handled, which 
some have likened to that of over-ripe pears. We have never 
smelled of a pear so over-ripe as to approach the repulsive- 
ness of the squash-bug. The bugs remain quiet during the 
day, but at night deposit their eggs by gluing them in patches 
on the leaves. The eggs soon hatch into young bugs of a 
pale ash color and rounded shape. They change their skins 
several times before they reach maturity. In all stages of 
growth the bugs puncture the squash leaves with their beaks, 
extracting the juices and causing the foliage to turn brown 
and finally to die. This pest is readily kept under control by 
hand-picking. The bugs that first come from their winter 
quarters should be destroyed before any eggs are laid. The 
eggs are large and laid in conspicuous patches, and if crushed 



INJURIOUS GARDEN INSECTS. 



the trouble is met before the mischief is done. Further 
hand-picking will keep the vines from being seriously injured. 

There is a Borer (^geria cuciirbitce) that destroys vigorous 
squash vines after they have made considerable growth. This 
borer is closely related to that of the peach-tree. The female 
moth deposits her eggs upon the vine near the root, and the 
young borers soon hatch, and penetrate to the interior of the 
stem, when they eat away so much of the substance as to 
cause the death of the plant. The work of this pest is so 
hidden from view that its presence is not known until the 
mischief is done. Among methods of capturing the insects 
is the placing of sheets of sticky paper about the vines to 
catch the moths. If the borers are found while still young 
they can frequently be cut out and not materially injure the 
vine. It is well to draw the earth up closely around the 
lower part of the stem, upon which the eggs are deposited 
when this })ortiun is exposed. 

The tomato comes next in the list of garden vegetables. 
This belongs to the same family with the potato, and is at- 
tacked by several of the same insects. These will be treated 
under the latter. The Cut-worm {Agrotis telifera) destroys 
many tomato plants when they are first set out. Wrapping 
a piece of paper around the lower part of the stem of the 
plant, the lower edge reaching below the surface, and the 
upper extending an inch or more above it, will prevent the 
attacks of this greedy grub. 

The caterpillar of the Boll-worm, so injurious to the cotton- 
plant ard Indian corn, proves a great pest to the tomato in 
the Western States. It eats into the green fruit and causes 
it to rot. 

The leading insect enemy to the leading garden crop is the 
Colorado Potato-beetle, {Doryjyhora \Q-lineata.) This pest 
is so well known, both as to its habits and destructive power, 
that little need be said on these points. At the time of the 
discovery of this insect by Mr. Say, a zoologist to a govern- 



10 INJURIOUS GARDEN INSECTS. 

ment expedition in the Nortli-western Territories in 1819, it 
was little thought it would become the great enemy of the 
potato jfields in all sections of tiie country. It was there 
confined in its feeding to some kinds of wild plants that are 
closely related to the potato. In 1861 it was reported as 
being troublesome to the potato in some parts of Kansas, 
since which time it has traveled eastward until it reached the 
Atlantic coast a few years ago. It was not a migration, as 
is the case with some insects, but a simple spreading. Hav- 
ing found a new feeding-plant in the Irish potato, it readily 
spread from one section to another where this plant is culti- 
vated until it is now wide-spread. The last brood of the 
beetles pass into the soil and hibernate until spring, when 
they come forth and the females deposit their orange-colored 
eggs in clusters upon the under-side of the potato leaves. 
The eggs hatch in a few days, and the young " bugs " begin 
at once to feed voraciously upon the surrounding foliage. 
After about two weeks the fat and greasy grubs descend to 
the earth, or under sticks or stones, and remain for about ten 
days, to come out perfect beetles. From two to four broods 
are produced during the season, so that there is almost a 
constant su|)ply of the "beetles." 

The remedies for the potato-bug are numerous. Scores of 
substances have been used, but Paris green and London pur- 
ple are the most effective. These compounds of arsenic are 
used in both the dry state and mixed with water. One 
pound of the powder, mixed with twenty of flour, and dusted 
on the foliage when wet, is a sure remedy. It is generally 
considered better to stir the poison, a tea-spoonful to a pail- 
ful, in water, and apply the mixture with a watering-pot. 
As the poison is not soluble, it must be stirred up frequently 
to keep it from falling to the bottom of the vessel. Kero- 
sene has been successfully used as an insecticide for the scale 
insect in orange groves, and it may be it will prove as effect- 
ive in the potato field. A cheap grade of the kerosene is 



INJURIOUS GARDEN INSECTS. 11 

made into an emulsion with sour milk, and applied in a spray, 
much diluted. 

There are several natural enemies to the potato-beetle that 
tend to keep the pest reduced in numbers. Among the lead- 
ing of these are the lady-birds or lady-beetles, tiger- beetles, 
and a mite, ( Uropoda Americana.) This mite sometimes oc- 
curs so abundantly as to completely cover its victim, and it 
soon perishes. 

The Potato Stalk Borer [Gortynia iiitida) burrows in the 
larger stalks of the potato, and also in the stems of other 
plants, as the dahlia, aster, etc. It is fond of the cocklebur, 
and it would be considered a friend if it worked on this vile 
weed alone. The borer leaves the potato stalks in July and 
descends into the ground, when it passes into the pupa state. 
The moth or perfect insect comes forth in August or Sep- 
tember, and passes the winter in some secluded place. When 
a vine is found wilted it should be examined, and the borer 
killed. 

The Potato or Tomato worm is a well-known injurious in- 
sect of the garden. This worm is over three inches long^ 
and bears beautiful markings across the body, and a peculiar 
tufted horn on its tail. Many persons are afraid to handle 
these larger worms from an absurd idea that they can sting. 
When full-grown, in mid-summer, the worm burrows in the 
ground and pupates. The pupa3 are frequently plowed up 
in old potato land. The peculiar jug-handle appendages at 
one end is not the tail, but the tongue-case, and contains the 
long, pliable tongue which the future large and beautiful 
moth will use in extracting the nectar of flowers on warm 
summer evenings. The wonderful transformations of insects 
are here fully exemplified ! What are more unlike than the 
fat, sluggish tomato caterpillars, that voraciously eat the 
coarse herbage of the potato and allied plants, and the richly 
colored moth that feeds only on the sweets of flowers ? 

The presence of the worms is known by the bare stems 



13 INJURIOUS GARDEN INSECTS. 

. — J 

they leave and their abundant droppings upon the ground. 
They should be looked for frequently, and crushed when 
found. There are some valuable natural enemies ; among 
these is a fly, the larvae of which, after feeding within the 
tomato-worm, come to the surface and spin small, white 
cocoons. Sometimes these are so numerous as to cover the 
enfeebled caterpillar. 

The sweet potato is not attacked by many insects, and 
these belong almost entirely to the group known as Tortoise- 
beetles, These beetles are nearly all oval and flat, with the 
wing covers extended in a manner to at once suggest the 
shape of the turtle or tortoise. Some of them possess most 
brilliant metallic colors, and the peculiar power of changing 
these rich and beautiful tints. The eggs of the Tortoise- 
beetles are deposited singly upon the leaves of the sweet 
potato. They are very irregular in shape, usually being 
furnished with spines. 

The most common species found on the sweet potato is the 
Two-striped Beetle, [Cassida bivittata.) The larva is a 
dirty, yellow white in color, and a quarter of an inch long. 
After having fed for its natural length of time, it attaches 
itself to the undersurface of the leaf and pupates. Next 
to the above, the Golden Tortoise - beetle ( Caurichal- 
cea) is most common on the sweet potato. This species is 
a pest on the closely related morning-glory vine and other 
allied plants. These beetles can be destroyed with Paris 
green or London purple used as for the Colorado potato 
beetle, but as they feed on the under surface of the leaves it 
is not so easy to reach them with the poison. Great care 
should be exercised when setting out the sweet potato plants 
that none of these beetles are left to do any damage. It 
would be well to look for the Tortoise-beetles at the time 
of hoeing, and kill all that are found. 

Among the general insect pests of the garden with omniv- 
orous tastes are the sly nocturnal Cut-worms. They have the 



INJURIOUS GARDEN INSECTS. 13 

well-known destructive habit of cutting off with their jaws 
the young plants of various garden vegetables. The several 
species of cut-worms are the larvae of night-flying owlet- 
moths, rarely seen in the day-time. The eggs are deposited 
upon leaves, etc. When the worms hatch out they descend 
to the ground, and make a hole in which they hide during 
the day-time. Most of the cut-worms, when full grown, are 
about an inch and a half long, dark colored, with light mark- 
ings and a greasy look. 

On a small scale, plants like cabbages, tomatoes, etc., can 
be protected from the cut-worms by surrounding the young 
stems with paper for a short distance above and below the 
ground. Hills of melons, squashes, etc., can be protected by 
hoops or some similar barrier. It is well to make holes in 
the earth with a dibble near the plants to be protected, into 
which the cut- worms may escape at sunrise after their night 
of foraging, and then be destroyed by another thrust of the 
dibble. Bunches of straw or grass placed along the rows of 
melon-hills, and examined daily, will serve to entrap many 
cut- worms. One gardener thus caught fifteen hundred and 
thirty-eight worms on a quarter-acre of water-melons before 
the seed came up, and afterward lost but a single melon plant 
by the cut-worms. Dr. Oemler, of Atlanta, Ga., states in his 
work on "Truck Farming at the South," that he capt- 
ured fifty-eight cut-worms under a single turnip-leaf placed 
as a trap. His method is to poison the worms by dipping 
cabbage or turnip leaves in a bucket of water in which a 
table-spoonful of Paris green has been stirred. These poi- 
soned leaves are laid in rows across the field fifteen feet 
apart. By repeating tbis process at intervals of three or 
four days the field is soon cleared of the worms. The cut- 
worms are specially injurious in the Southern States, partly 
due to the fact that the winters there are not sufficiently cold 
to make the worms dormant, but with every warm spell the 
worms become active and continue their depredations. The 



14 INJURIOUS GARDEN INSECTS. 

• . — _ 

" much-slandered " crow stands in the front ranks as a nat- 
ural enemy to the cut-worms, and should be protected rather 
than persecuted. This sable bird will pull young corn 
for a short time in late spring, but this is often for the grub 
or cut-worm that lies at the base of the plant. For most of 
the year the crow is a firm friend of the farmer, and should 
be always treated as such. 

The term Wire-worm is applied to the larvae of several 
kinds of Spring or Click-beetles. One common species is two 
inches long, with two large black spots, like eyes, on the back* 
This beetle, when laid upon its back, will throw itself, with 
a sudden spring, several inches into the air. The larvae of 
this group of beetles are long and slender, suggesting the 
common name. They remain as worms from three to five 
years, and sometimes do much damage to garden crops. 
Plowing the soil late in autumn will bring them to the 
surface, when the frost may kill them or the birds secure a 
much-loved prey. Frequent stirring of the soil in late fall 
and early spring is one of the best means of cleaning a gar- 
den soil of all sorts of worms and grubs. 

The term Wire-worm is popularly used to include the 
long and slender " thousand-legged worms." These have 
worm-like bodies, but may be quickly distinguished from 
the larvae of the Snap -beetles by the many [)airs of legs 
which they possess. These false Wire-worms are of a dark 
brown or blackish color, and do not undergo the metamor- 
phosis common to the other insects mentioned. These 
Myriapods often do much damage by feeding upon the roots 
and under-ground stems of garden vegetables. When they 
are abundant in the soil it is difficult to grow potatoes. Many 
of the rough places upon the surface of otherwise healthy 
potatoes are caused by the false Wire-worms. They may 
be trapped by placing slices of turnips, carrots, apples, etc., 
upon the surface of the soil. 

Of the insects injurious to garden vegetables, not the least. 



INJURIOUS GARDEN INSECTS. 15 

but the last to be here mentioned, is the White Grub. In its 
perfect state this insect is known by several names, the lead- 
ing ones of which are May-beetle or May-bug, June-bug or 
June-beelle, and Dor-bug. These clumsy beetles come from 
tlie ground in May or June, and are familiar to all in their 
visits upon the families, especially at evening, when, with the 
w^indow^s and doors open, they beat their heads against the 
walls, or burn their wings at the lighted lamp. The beetle 
is about an inch long, of a dark chestnut color, and more or 
less covered with yellowish down upon the breast. The 
beetles are injurious to fruit and other trees; but it is fortu- 
nate that they do not live long. The females enter the 
earth, deposit their eggs, and soon die. The eggs hatch in 
a few weeks, and the young grubs live upon the fine roots 
of various plants. The grubs do much more damage in 
their second year. They revel in the strawberry-bed, as 
well as in the vegetable and flower gardens. The grub is 
full grown in its third year, and is then a plump, dirty white 
worm, sometimes nearly as large as a person's little finger. 
Having reached its full size and done much damage, the 
grub forms an earthen case or cocoon, and becomes a chrys- 
alid. In May or June the perfect beetle comes forth from 
this state of inactivity, and the cycle of changes in the life 
of this insect is complete. As might be expected from the 
duration of the larval state, the beetles are more numerous 
one season than another in any given locality. They may 
be so abundant as to cover the trees, and may be shaken 
upon sheets and destroyed. The fact that they are attracted 
by light may be used to advantage. Traps, consisting of 
lamps throwing a strong light, with a tub of water beneath, 
have been used with success. There are a number of nat- 
ural enemies, among which is the crow before mentioned. 
The skunk is fond of the fat grubs. Swine will get the 
majority of them out of an infested ground. 

There are several other insecX pests of the vegetable 



INJURIOUS GARDEN INSECTS. 



ga -den, bat if those herein mentioned are mastered, it will 
not be difficult to stay the i-avages of the others. 

The leading works on insects from which information lias 
been drawn in writing this little tract are: Harris's "Insects 
Injurious to Vegetation ; " Packard's " Guide to the Study 
of Insects;" Treat's "Injurious Insects of the Farm and 
Garden ;" Oemlers " Truck Farming at the South," and the 
various writings of Professors C. V. Riley, A. J. Cook, *!. H. 
Comstock, C. E. Bessey, and S. A. Forbes. To any Oiie who 
may wish to pursue the subject farther, the above-named 
books will furnish a large amount of carefully prepared in- 
formation. 



[thotjght-otttline to help the memory.] 

1. Importance of the subject? Anatomy of insects : head, thorax, and abdo- 

men? The egg", larva, pupa, imago? 

2. List of garden pests ? Asparagus-beetle? Bean-weevil? Cabbage Butter- 

flies? Striped Beetles? Pickle-worm? Melon-worm? " Onion-fly? 
Squash-bug ? Borer ? Potato-beetle ? Stalk-borer ? Tomato-worm ? 
Tortoise -beetle? Cut- worms? Wire- worms? False wire-worms ? White 
grub ? Works consulted and recommended ? 



OX3:-^TJT.A.XJQTJ.^^ rrE2SLT-DBOO!K:S- 



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